At a time when automotive recalls are plaguing the news, Japanese automaker, Honda Motor Co., is adding an additional 437,000 automobiles to its fifteen-month global recall for faulty airbags. Honda will be replacing the driver’s side airbag inflator in the vehicles because they can deploy with too much pressure, causing the inflator to rupture and injure or kill the driver. So far, Honda has attributed eleven injuries to the problem and one death, though it is not aware of any problems occurring after July 2009. The automaker originally called for the recall in November 2008, however, the number keeps escalating; the number of recalls since November is approaching one million. Honda found the problem occurred due to a faulty stamping machine that sometimes used insufficient pressure to make the inflators. Because of this, the company chose to recall all vehicles using the compressed inflator propellant produced by that machine.
The latest inclusion in the airbag recall was 378,000 cars in the United States, about 41,000 cars in Canada and 17,000 cars in Australia, Japan and elsewhere in Asia. The recall now affects 952,118 automobiles, including particular 2001 and 2002 Accord sedans, CR-V small sport utility vehicles, Civic compacts, Odyssey minivans and some 2002 Acura TL sedans. Last month, Honda recalled 646,000 2007-2008 Fit hatchbacks worldwide because of a glitch that could cause water to enter the power window mechanism, causing components to overheat. About 140,000 of those automobiles were in the United States alone.
Honda asks all consumers to take their automobiles to dealerships as soon as they receive notification from the company in writing. This notification process will begin during the month of February.
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